Storm Clouds
by WeasleyForMe
Summary: George helps Hermione through a rough patch.


_Storm Clouds by WeasleyForMe_

_George helps Hermione through a rough patch. _

_This is for HermioneTwin, because she is a wonderful beta and came up with this idea! _

* * *

Hermione wiped the excess tears from her eyes as she watched her boyfriend cover the grave that they had spent most of the afternoon digging by hand. He placed a bouquet of wildflowers on the small mound of dirt, and Hermione willed herself to contain her tears.

"I'm so sorry, love," George said as he set the shovel against a tree in the yard. "Come here," he whispered as he scooped his sobbing girlfriend into his arms. "Everything is going to be all right, Hermione." He gently rubbed her back and kissed her temple.

"B-But Crookshanks was the best cat in the world," Hermione moaned. "I had him for twelve years." She continued to sob, soaking George's shirt in the process.

"I know, baby," he cooed, slowly calming her down. "He was the best cat I've ever seen. But everything is going to be just fine, Hermione. I promise."

* * *

A few days later, Hermione was still finding herself sobbing in the ladies' room at work. She quickly left her desk at the Ministry and slipped into one of the stalls, silencing herself with a charm so nobody could hear her. When she got home that day, she pretended that she no longer missed her cat, for George's sake. He must have been getting tired of constantly comforting her.

"Dinner's ready!" he called from the kitchen. Hermione stood and made her way toward the delicious smelling food. She tripped over Crookshanks' empty water bowl on her way. Resentfully, she stared down at it, pleading with herself to stop the tears that were rapidly starting to fill her eyes. She looked up through watery eyes to see George looking at her sadly.

"I miss him," Hermione whispered as George enveloped her in a hug.

* * *

Hermione had been insisting for days that she didn't want a new cat. "But Crookshanks was part Kneazle," she would tell George when he brought it up. "No other cat could possibly compare." Nevertheless, each day after work, George found himself in Magical Menagerie looking at the cats. Each day he would shake his head and return home with nothing, where he would find Hermione smiling sadly as she looked at pictures of her beloved Crookshanks.

One day, while Hermione was busy at work, she received a small package delivered by owl. She recognized George's writing on the brown paper as the tore it open. A fluffy mouse shaped toy fell into her hand. "Why is he sending me cat toys?" she asked nobody in particular. Hermione set it on the corner of her desk and frowned. She glared at it all day, and mentally prepared the rant that she would be sending George's way when she got home. Perhaps he thought it was an amusing prank to send her cat toys at work, mere weeks after Crookshanks had passed away. She scowled as she finished her paperwork and packed her bag to go home.

"George!" she called angrily once she had Apparated into their living room. He poked his head out of their bedroom and motioned for her to join him. Hermione sighed as she set her bag down. "It's really not funny that you sent this to me," she said as she dangled the puffy mouse by its tail. George just kept motioning for Hermione to hurry into the room as his smile spread.

"Hurry up!" he called as she headed toward the room. When he saw her scowl he told her, "It wasn't a prank! I bought something else for you today! Come look."

Hermione froze as she walked into the bedroom to see a tiny grey and white kitten playing on the bed. "A cat?" she finally asked.

George chewed his bottom lip before he answered her. "Yeah… I got you another cat."

"I didn't want another cat," she told him sadly. Then she realized it was difficult to be sad or angry as she looked at the adorable ball of fluff that was bouncing around on the bed, playing with a purple ball of yarn.

"I know you didn't," George began. "But look how cute she is!" He scooped the kitten up into his hands and held it up next to his face. Hermione smiled at the sight of her boyfriend holding the itty bitty cat in his large hands. She even giggled when it reached a paw out to play with a strand of his hair. "See? I made sure to pick out one that had spunk! She even bit my finger when I was in the store!"

When the kitten saw Hermione, it started to meow louder. George held it out to her, and she was helpless to tell him no. She took the cat in her hands and noticed that it even had a slightly flattened face, just like Crookshanks. It pawed at Hermione's curly hair and meowed happily in her hands. "I suppose I could keep her, since you went to all the trouble," Hermione muttered. She wasn't able to hide her happiness from George as she looked up at him with a small smile. "Stormy and I will be in here playing while you make dinner."

George grinned as Hermione kissed his cheek. He was relieved that she was finally smiling again. "Stormy? I think that's a very fitting name for her," he said as he patted the kitten's head. His smile disappeared. "Wait, why do _I_ have to make dinner?"

* * *

Ahh! It's so cute and filled with fluffy kittens!! If you haven't choked on the cuteness, please leave a review!

Thanks Amy, for reading it through for me!


End file.
